Improved construction of ar ohes, tuotels



'then side by side, right and left-handed voussoirs alternately.

., y @uitrit tadtfaitrtrrtt @time e'EoRenT; Larson SUMMIT, NEW 'r0s1:.

LettersPatent No. 811,797, dated September 1,1868.

VIllilPROlEl) UOllSTRCTION OF ARCHES, TUNNELS, d tc.

tlgt Stimuli trfemh lait itat tettets' ntmtrntiuating ritt nf its samt.

To' 'ALL WHOM rr MAY. concreti;

Beit known't'hat LGnonGE T. LrE, of' Summit, in the county of Schoharie, and State 4of New York, have invented a new'and useful Improvementin the Construction ot Arches for Bridges, Tunnels, &c.; and I` do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, enabling others skilled in the4 art to construct and use the same, reference being had to the vannexed drawings',.forming a part of thisspecication,` in which drawingsv Y Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the grooved ends, thelower and right-hand sides of a voussoir. Figure 2, a perspective view ofthe tongued ends, the lower and left-hand sides thereof'. Figure 3, (corresponding with the right-hand halt' of iig. 1,) a perspective view of the grooved end, low er, and right-hand sides of' a-half'flen'gthened voussoir. l

Figure 4', a development or view'ot the under side of a structure, composed of several vouvssoirs, combined together, showing the breaking ot' joints throughout, by introducing .at the ends half-lengthcned voussoirs, and

The principal objectof my invention is to provide a means of. constructing arches of iron or other suitable material, inthe process oftunnellingpbuilding sewers, bridges, culverts, &c., byra series of sectional pieces or voussoirs, and consists in forming and combining these in the manner hereinafter described; d

This invention differs from my improvement for which a patent was allowed to me by the United States on the 28th day of October, 1867- f p First, in providing means for combiningfthe sections'or voussoirs horizontally in tunnelling, sewerin'g, Src., by the use of horizontal dove-tailed tongues and grooves.

Second, in castingv the sections or voussoirs with rebates ofthe side edges at the t'op plate s,"'so that one y will lap over the other at the joints, when placed side b yV side.

Third, in providing means of securing' the sections or voussoirs together laterally by .the use of screw-bolts. Having ascertained the con-formationof the desired arched structure, such as tunnels, sewers, die., I provide a suitable pattern (qr patterns, if necessary) of a section orvoussoir, (or voussoirs thereof,) and cast such numbers of sections or voussoirs las will, whencombin'ed, form said arched structure, the length, breadth, and

shape ofthe sections being varied according to,convenience'or'circumstances.

l Ineach section or voussoir oi'v an` arch, the radial end plates and upper plate or langeextend, on diagonally opposite-sides of the rib or web, further on one sidethali on the other, inA order to form laps along the rebated sides,` and also to break joints at the ends of the voussoirs.`

These sections or voussbirs are'combined together by horizontal dove-tailed tonguesT and grooves Gr, on

'their radial abutting ends, and transversely byscrew-b'clts passing through holes c c in the rib or web W, or

through ilanges e e on the upper plates.

` Figs. 1 and 2 representa voussoir, east in one piece,l a transverse section of `which, resembles the capital letter T. L 1

g The upper plate U F takes the curve of 4the extradgs of the arch, longitudinally, and extends diagonally further onv one side ofnthe :web W than on ithe other. The lower plateorilangeli F talies the curve of the intrados of the arch, angl extends` on both sides of the web equally.

The rib or webW, at right angles to the top and bottom,'lies in the same vertical plane. The radial ,end

platesld E E" E" abut against each other in an arch, and become fastened together by the horizontal dovetaled tongues and grooves T and G; The parts a a and b b of the upper plate (outside the blue lines)'-are respectively thelower and upper side rebates, each extending longitudinally along the Ahalf side edges of a voussoir, so that each half part thereof has a top rebate on one 'side o f the web, and a bottom rebate on the v other, in order to4 lap and cover the joints (at the sides) when the voussoirs are placed side by side'throug'hout their entire length or only their half lengths.

Fig. 3 represents a half-lengthene'd'voussoir, .and corresponds to `the right-hand half of the voudsoii repre` 81,707 2 sented in iig'. 1, while the left-hand part thereof (also a half-lengthened voussoir) is the counterpart of iig. 3, and the two halves, according as their ends E E, or E E", ere included in the same central radial plate, form the right and left-handed voussoir, as seen in R and L, of iig. 4, in consequence of Iwhich and the half-lengthenccl voussoir, I am enabled 'to brezil: joints and construct n complete rarched structure.

In constructing arches, the proper Walls or abutments having been erected, a slcewback is secured to the nell or abutment ou each side, with a tongue or groove to receive the adjacent sections or vcussoirs, and the structure proceeds by shoving the tongue of one' in the groove of the other, until the required number are placed into-position.

In constructing sewers, there will necessarily be :t change in the form of the sections or voussoirs.

As the bottom of the sewer requires asmooth, clear surface, the sections or voussoirs forming that port of it should, be cast without the webs or ribs on thc side which is to form the interior of the bottounbut the rib or web, the principal function of which, in all cases, is to add strength by economizing material, may be east on the outside. yAnd in cases where the sewer is to perform the functions of drainage, as well as a conduit,

' thc bottom plate may be cast with pcrforations. The sections or voussoirs being in readiness for the sewers,

the lower one is placed and secured in position, and the others connected in the same manner as above provided for arching.

In forming arches or 'sewers of any considerable length, or when the ends are firmly supported, or the pressure upon the structure is sufficient to keep the sections or voussoirs from moving laterally, after they are in position, the provisions for bolting together may he dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, and the means of applying it, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is x 1. The construction of sections or voussoirs, with horizontal dove-tailed tongues and grooves :Ilong their abutting ends, substantially as and for the purpose specified. K

2. In combination with said dove-tailed'tongues and grooves, constructing said voussoirs or sections with rebates along their abutting sides, so that they will lap over each other at their jointsor points of contact.

3.k The construction of sewers, aqueducts, and arches for bridges, culverts, tunnels, he., by combining and abutting or securing to cach other a series of sections or voussoirs, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

This specification signed, this 28th day of March, 1868.

` GEO. '.l. LAPE. Witnesses:

PETER VAN An'rwsnr, Y THOMAS VAN ANTWERP. 

